A Jealous Roommate's Sulking
“More than me… do you like your little sister better?”
Aria seemed to realize what she'd just blurted out only after the words left her mouth.
She bit her lip hard and cast her eyes downward.
She looked like she was desperately trying to take it back, but it was already too late.
Instead of answering, I just stared at her quietly.
I needed a moment to figure out what she really meant by that.
'Like my sister more?'
How am I supposed to interpret that?
Thinking back, there had been plenty of warning signs. The moment I brought up Charlotte, Aria's expression had subtly stiffened.
Her voice had lost its energy, and her fingers had gripped the cards so tightly that the edges crumpled.
I hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.
But hearing this question now, it all clicked into place perfectly.
'She was feeling left out, huh. This girl.'
Aria's hands on her lap kept clenching and unclenching the bedsheet rhythmically.
As the silence stretched on, she spoke first.
“...It's just, when you talk about your sister, your face looks so different.”
Her voice was a soft mumble.
“Different how?”
“It's the kind of face you make when you're talking about someone you like.”
Even as she said it, her embarrassment showed— the tips of her ears turned faintly pink.
She was so straightforward, really.
I let out a small chuckle inside.
I already had a pretty good read on what kind of person Aria was.
We hadn't lived together that long, but after going through life-and-death together, there was no way I couldn't know.
She was hopelessly bad at hiding her emotions and had a habit of blurting out subtly rude things without thinking.
So that comment probably wasn't some calculated jab she'd been plotting.
It was more like emotions bubbling up inside her until they spilled out past her lips without her realizing.
“And why does that bother you?”
She fell silent at my probing question for a moment before answering.
“It's not like it bothers me that much.”
“Then what?”
“Just… curiosity, I guess.”
“Curious about what?”
“...I don't know.”
“You don't know?”
“Yeah.”
With that short reply, Aria clamped her lips shut.
Her face said she didn't even know why she was saying this.
She clearly couldn't make sense of her own words or the feelings behind them.
It was just some unfamiliar, dissatisfying emotion swelling fuzzily in a corner of her chest, bursting out unbidden.
I watched her quietly.
'Jealousy.'
It didn't take long to piece it together.
My roommate, with whom I'd only just started having real conversations today, was jealous of my little sister all the way off in the ducal territory.
Objectively, it was absurd and ridiculous.
But strangely, it didn't annoy me.
If anything, her clumsy, transparent attitude was kind of cute.
“You really can't lie, can you?”
I couldn't hold back a snicker as I said it, and Aria flinched.
“L-Lie? I'm just…”
“You're jealous. Right now.”
Her face exploded red at my blunt words.
She flailed her hands in panic.
“J-J-J-Jealous?! Me?! N-No! Absolutely not!”
“What do you mean, no? It's written all over your face.”
“I said it's not! Why would I be jealous of Lady Elise's sister? Don't say ridiculous things!”
Aria waved her hands frantically, raising her voice.
Her usual mosquito-like whisper was gone, replaced by a sharp, indignant tone.
It was a desperate struggle to deny the situation.
“Fine. If you say so.”
I decided not to tease her more. Pushing further might actually make her cry; her face looked on the verge.
Just poke and pull back.
“Okay, pretend you're not. But if I answer you…”
Her flailing stopped dead at my words.
Face still flushed, she waited for what I'd say next.
She'd denied it so fiercely, but she was still curious about my response.
“You have to compare apples to apples. She's still a kid, and you're a full-grown student.”
“That's true, but…”
Aria listened quietly, then pouted.
“You don't make me flower crowns. Or play piano with me.”
Her voice was thick with petulance.
“Rabbit grass is here, piano's way over there.”
“That's just an excuse. It means I'm not as special to you as your sister.”
Her voice dripped with hurt. She irritably tossed the remaining card stack onto the desk and stood up.
“I'm going to bed first.”
“Hey, already? We just…”
“I'm tired. I'll turn off the light.”
-Click.
Before I could finish, the switch flipped down.
The magic lamp's glow vanished, plunging the room into darkness.
A rustling sound came from the shadows.
Aria strode to her bed, flopped down, and yanked the blanket over her head.
In the faint moonlight seeping through the window, her silhouette was visible.
A round bundle turned away from me, fully facing the wall.
She was radiating sulkiness from every inch.
'Why'd she suddenly turn into a total menhera?'
She was probably pouting under there, muttering all her grievances about me to herself.
Calling me thoughtless or whatever.
Left alone, she'd probably get over it by morning on her own.
She was the type to show her hurt, then act all shy and strike up a conversation first thing like nothing happened.
But.
'Letting her sleep like this feels kinda off.'
She helped me every single day.
My conscience wouldn't let me leave her fuming like that.
I slipped out of bed quietly.
Padding barefoot across the wooden floor, I approached Aria's bed.
-Stealthily, stealthily.
Even when I reached the bedside, she didn't notice me under the covers.
Just occasional indignant huffs leaking from the edges.
I carefully placed one knee on her mattress.
It dipped under my weight.
“Huh…?”
A puzzled snort came from under the blanket.
Without hesitation, I lifted the edge and slipped inside.
-Flop.
“Eeeeek?!”
Aria let out a piercing shriek at my sudden intrusion.
She jolted back in shock, but the narrow single bed offered no escape.
Her back hit the wall, leaving my body right in her face.
“Where do you think you're going?”
“L-L-Lady Elise?! N-No, sis?! W-What are you doing in my bed?!”
Aria's eyes went wide as saucers, her words tumbling out.
“Came to sleep.”
I replied shamelessly and lay down beside her.
Then I naturally stretched out my arm and pulled her waist into a tight hug.
“C'mere.”
“Kyaa!”
Aria got dragged helplessly into my arms.
Just like that time in the cramped box during the day, we pressed together without a gap.
But this was soft blankets, not a rickety box.
Our body heat mingled, lavender scent filling the tight space.
“L-Let go! I'm mad at you!”
“I know. That's why I'm comforting you.”
“H-How is this comforting?! You're just bullying me!”
Aria wriggled, trying to push my arm away, but without any real force.
She was clearly just pretending to hate it.
“...You're playing dirty.”
After a while, she mumbled.
“What is?”
“It's hard to stay mad like this.”
I chuckled softly instead of answering.
She probably couldn't see my face in the dark, but I hoped my laugh conveyed my feelings.
“...I wasn't really jealous, okay.”
“I know.”
“For real.”
“Yeah.”
I tightened my arm around her quietly.
“...Can you let go now?”
“After we sleep.”
“After?”
“Yep.”
Aria paused a beat, then sighed weakly.
“...Fine, whatever. We'll sleep like this tonight.”
Despite her words, she leaned into me ever so slightly—just a tiny bit, so subtle you'd miss it if you weren't paying attention.
I pretended not to notice.
///
Morning came.
“Sis, get up already. We're gonna be late.”
Aria shook me with a face like nothing had happened.
“All better now?”
I rubbed my eyes and asked. She frowned.
“What now?”
“The sulking.”
She shook her head vigorously.
“I wasn't sulking in the first place.”
I finally burst out laughing at that.